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University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


HfiENDS 

JKNDOXJfER 

BSORMSHOK 


ARROWHEAD   MOUNTAIN,  NEAR  SAN   BERNARDINO,  CALIFORNIA 


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Legends  of  the  Arrowhead 


Issued  by  tne  Passenger  Department 

San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake 
Railroad  / 


H.  C.  NUTT,  General  Manager 

FRED  A.  WANN  T.  C.  PECK 

General  Traffic  Manager  Gen'l  Pass'r  Agent 

LOS  ANGELES.  CALIFORNIA 


£9? 


ENERATIONS  of  men  have 
wondered  concerning  the  for 
mation  of  the  marvelous 
prehistoric  landmark  known 
as  the  Arrowhead,  so  clearly 
pictured  upon  the  mountain 
side,  six  miles  northeast  of 
San  Bernardino,  California, 
and  visible  from  the  trains  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Route  for  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles. 

Although  the  origin  of  the  Arrowhead  is 
unknown,  numerous  legends  dealing  with  its 
supernatural  creation,  combining  the  fancy  of 
superstition  with  the  romance  of  fiction,  have 
been  extant  among  the  Indian  tribes  and  early 
settlers  for  many  generations. 

In  the  belief  that  the  general  public  knows 
scarcely  anything  concerning  this  strange  for 
mation,  which  the  Salt  Lake  Route  has  adopt 
ed  as  its  official  trade  mark,  these  legends  are 
collected  and  presented  in  book  form,  with  the 
hope  that  the  subject  matter  will  prove  of  in 
terest  to  its  readers. 

By  actual  measurement,  the  Arrowhead  is 
1375  feet  long,  and  449  feet  wide,  comprising 
an  area  of  7^2  acres,  and  the  material  of  which 
it  is  composed  is  different  in  formation  from 
adjacent  parts  of  the  mountain,  consisting 
chiefly  of  disintegrated  white  quartz,  and  light 
gray  granite,  and  supporting  a  growth  of  short  ^ 


white  sage  and  weeds.  This  lighter  vegeta 
tion  shows  in  sharp  contrast  to  the  dark  green 
growth  of  surrounding  chaparral  and  grease- 
wood.  Not  a  few  believe  that  this  natural 
mark  was  made  by  a  mountain  cloudburst.  A 
great  volume  of  water  was  supposed  to  have 
struck  the  earth  at  the  top  of  the  arrow,  and, 
rushing  down,  formed  the  shank,  then,  ob 
structed  by  some  accumulated  mass  of  debris, 
it  overflowed  on  each  side  and  advanced  with 
terrific  force  until  this  overflow  was  confined 
by  entering  the  wedge-shaped  configuration 
upon  the  mountain  side,  and  the  point  of  the 
arrow  was  shaped.  The  wonderfully  formed 
symbol,  so  distinctive  a  feature  of  the  locality, 
is  plainly  visible  from  all  the  trains  of  the  Salt 
Lake  Route.  This  fact  induced  the  manage 
ment  of  the  road  to  select  this  unique  emblem 
as  the  official  sign  of  the  system,  and  the  sim 
ple  Indian  arrowhead  is  now  adopted  and  rec 
ognized  as  the  identifying  mark  of  the  San 
Pedro,  Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  Railroad. 


COXHUXA- 


HE  primitive  savage  thoroughly- 
steeped  in  superstitious  lore,  inva 
riably  associated  the  Great  Spirit 
with  the  production  of  any  unusual 
natural  phenomena,  hence  from  the 
descendants  of  the  Coahuia  Indian  inhabitants 
of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  comes  this  ex 
planation  of  the  origin  of  the  Arrowhead. 

In  the  days  of  long  ago,  the  Coahuias  dwelt 
across  the  mountains  to  the  eastward,  near  the 
San  Luis  Rey  Mission.  Now,  although  of  a 
peace  loving  disposition,  they  were  continually 
harassed  by  their  warlike  neighbors,  who  stole 
their  ponies,  devastated  their  fields  and  burned 
their  jacales.  Thus  for  many  years  they  lived 
unhappy  and  in  constant  fear,  until  at  last 
the  persecutions  could  not  longer  be  endured, 
and  at  command  of  their  chief  the  tribesmen 
gathered  in  council  for  the  purpose  of  calling 
upon  the  God  of  Peace  to  assist  and  direct 
them  to  another  country,  where  they  might 
acquire  a  quiet  home  land.  Impressive  incan 
tations  and  ceremonial  songs  of  peace  were 
performed  under  the  direction  of  the  chief 
medicine  man.  Now,  being  a  gentle  people, 
so  the  tale  runs,  they  found  special  favor 


with  the  Great  Spirit,  by  whom  they  were  di 
rected  to  travel  westward,  and  instructed  that 
they  would  be  guided  to  their  new  home  by  a 
fiery  arrow,  for  which  they  must  be  constantly 
watching.  Accordingly  the  tribe  started  upon 
the  journey,  and  one  moonless  night,  when 
the  camp  sentries  had  been  posted  with  usual 
injunctions  to  be  watchful,  there  appeared 
across  the  vault  of  heaven  a  blazing  arrow, 
which  took  a  course  westward,  settling  upon 
the  mountain,  where  the  shaft  was  consumed 
in  flame,  but  the  head  imbedded  itself,  clear- 
cut  in  the  mountain  side.  The  camp  was 
aroused,  and  while  yet  the  morning  star  hung 
in  the  east  heralded  the  approach  of  day,  they 
resumed  their  journey  to  the  promised  land, 
under  the  shadow  of  the  mountain,  where  they 
located,  and  lived  in  peaceful  contentment  un 
til  the  coming  of  the  white  settler. 


GES  and  ages  ago,  this  legend  runs, 
the  Indians  inhabiting  the  beauti 
ful  San  Bernardino  Valley,  called 
by  them  Guachina,  a  "place  of 
plenty,"  waxed  strong  and  prosper 
ous  because  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the 
abundance  of  the  streams  that  watered  it. 
They  were  mighty  in  the  land,  and,  becoming 
selfish  and  proud  in  their  arrogance,  forgot  the 
All-Ruler,  the  bestower  of  their  abundance  and 
power.  Then  was  the  Great  Father  displeased 
at  their  ingratitude,  and  thereupon  sent  down 
upon  this  people  a  hot,  fierce  spirit  from  the 
Sun-land,  who  blighted  their  vegetation,  drank 
of  their  streams  until  only  the  sand  beds  were 
left,  and  drained  their  lakelets  till  only  salt  and 
bitter  waters  remained  therein.  Then  did  the 
people  gather  in  council,  building  huge  fast 
fires  and  make  offerings  to  appease  the  anger 
of  the  Great  Spirit.  But  the  scorching  blast 
continued,  parching  the  land,  and  all  green 
things  shrivelled,  the  hot  earth  baked  and 
crumbled,  the  herds  and  flocks  perished,  the 
Sun  monster  leaving  only  heaps  of  bleaching 
bones.  Then  were  the  people  visited  with 
pestilence  and  with  famine.  Although  they 
constantly  prayed  and  made  peace  offerings 
for  the  abatement  of  the  fury  of  this  consum 
ing  heat  monster,  their  supplications  were  un 
answered.  The  wailing  Indians  at  length, 
driven  to  dire  extremity,  knelt  with  out 
stretched  arms,  and,  bowing  to  the  ground, 
offered  to  make  any  sacrifice — even  to  the  for 
feiture  of  the  most  precious  life  in  the  tribe — 


if  only  relief  might  be  granted  them  from  the 
deadly  visitation  of  this  devouring  pest. 

Now,  the  chief  is  alleged  to  have  been  father 
to  an  only  daughter,  Ne-wah-na,  by  name, 
maiden  of  the  new  moon — the  fairest  and  most 
beloved  of  all  tribeswomen.  Finally,  in  an 
swer  to  his  last  appeal,  a  voice  floating  from 
out  the  broad  expanse  of  the  skies  bore  this 
message:  "Give  Ne-wah-na  as  an  offering  to 
heaven."  Silence  fell  upon  the  stricken  In 
dians  as  their  chief,  rising  above  his  devotions, 
slowly  went  to  his  wickiup.  There  he  care 
fully  wrapped  his  daughter  in  her  richest 
robes,  and,  adorning  her  with  golden  trinkets, 
obedient  to  the  mysterious  voice,  led  her  forth, 
leaving  her  alone  to  meet  the  fiery  wrath  of 
the  destroyer.  When  the  sacrifice  was  com 
pleted,  and  Ne-wah-na  was  consumed,  the 
heavens  opened  and  immediately  a  white  ar 
row  of  light  shot  out  and  struck  down  the  heat 
monster;  others  followed,  until  finally  one 
struck  the  mountain  side,  and  there  left  its 
mark.  Then  was  the  blessed  rain  poured  from 
above,  the  water  once  again  cooling  the 
parched  earth  and  running  in  the  empty  beds 
of  the  streams.  The  heat  monster  writhed  in 
agony  under  the  copious,  cooling  downpour, 
until  the  earth  opened  to  swallow  him.  As  it 
closed  again,  streams  of  boiling  water  bubbled 
from  the  rock  crevices,  and  the  famine  and 
pestilence-smitten  people,  drinking  deep  of  the 
steaming  waters,  and  bathing  in  them,  were 
healed.  Thenceforth  the  humbled  dwellers  of 
the  valley  lived  for  generations  in  peace  and 
plenty  at  the  foot  of  the  arrow-marked  moun 
tain. 


GES  ago,  when  the  Evil  Spirit  dwelt 
in  these  mountains,  the  Coahuias 
were  a  race  of  giants.  Now,  the 
Evil  One  took  supreme  delight  in 
making  life  miserable  for  them. 
His  favorite  form  of  amusement  was  to  roll 
down  from  the  mountain  huge  boulders  upon 
their  rancheria,  and  to  pour  drenching  floods 
of  water  over  the  valley.  The  Indians,  natur 
ally  enough,  became  weary  of  these  mischiev 
ous  attentions,  and,  wishing  to  arrange  some 
sort  of  truce,  one  autumn  day,  after  the  Evil 
One  had  been  especially  active,  they  decided 
to  seek  council  with  him.  So  the  giant  Indian 
chief  called  the  Sacred  Eagle,  after  first  plac 
ing  a  white  dove's  feather  in  its  beak,  to  ascer 
tain  if  the  time  was  most  propitious.  That  re 
vered  bird  having  so  signified  by  soaring  far 
aloft  to  the  mountain  stronghold  of  the  Evil 
Spirit  and  returning  with  the  white  feather  of 
the  dove,  a  score  of  the  most  powerful  Indians 
scaled  the  mountain  side  and  the  council  oc 
curred.  After  some  discussion  it  was  agreed 
to  play  a  game  of  cards  for  entire  possession 


of  the  valley.  The  Indians,  chanting  a  good 
luck  gambling  song,  were  fast  winning,  when 
the  Evil  One,  becoming  enraged,  seized  an  ace 
of  spades  and  dashed  it  against  the  mountain 
side  with  such  angry  force  that  the  mountain 
opened,  receiving  him  spluttering  in  its  depths, 
and  the  sulphurous  hot  springs  at  the  moun 
tain's  base  bear  evidence  of  his  continued 
presence  beneath  the  rocks. 


MORMON: 


ROM  the  Mormons  has  likewise  de 
veloped  a  solution  of  the  mystery 
of  the  Arrowhead.  It  is  related 
that  when,  in  the  year  1851,  Brig- 
ham  Young  desired  to  found  a  col 
ony  which  was  to  be  a  resting  place  to  the 
saints  coming  to  this,  his  city  of  Zion,  from 
Europe  and  Australia,  he  sent  out  a  party  to 
select  a  location.  Before  his  band  of  disciples 
started  on  their  quest,  however,  he  told  the 
two  leading  elders  of  a  vision  that  had  ap 
peared  to  him,  and  which  was  substantiated  by 
a  Mormon  seeress.  He  had  beheld  upon  the 
side  of  a  mountain  the  head  of  an  arrow,  point 
ing  down  to  a  rich  and  fertile  valley.  When 
the  party  should  come  upon  this  sign  of  the 
arrowhead,  there,  in  the  valley  to  which  it 
pointed,  he  enjoined  them  to  stop,  and  found 
a  new  branch  of  Zion.  After  long,  wearisome 
plodding,  through  Utah  and  Nevada,  over  a 
trail  which  is  now  followed  by  the  Salt  Lake 
Route,  the  travelers  came  to  the  dreary  stretch 
of  the  Mohave  Desert.  Nearly  perishing  from 
the  lack  of  water,  thoroughly  discouraged, 
they  were  on  the  point  of  turning  back,  when 
an  angel,  appearing,  admonished  them  to  be 
of  good  cheer,  continue  their  pilgrimage,  and 


soon  they  would  reach  the  land  of  their  reward. 
The  following  day  they  came  to  Cajon  Pass, 
and  from  there  viewed  the  beautiful  San  Ber 
nardino  Valley.  The  elders,  beholding  the 
great  white  arrowhead  defined  against  the 
dark  green  background,  recognized  this  as  the 
valley  of  their  leader's  vision.  So  here  they 
settled,  founding  in  San  Bernardino  one  of  the 
most  healthy  and  prosperous  offshoots  Mor- 
monism  ever  put  forth,  until  in  1857  they  were 
recalled  by  Brigham  Young  to  the  City  of  Zion. 


M 


&4PORX 


OCTOR.  D.  N.  SMITH,  who,  about 
1858,  sought  to  improve  the  boiling 
sulphurous  springs  at  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  had  his  own  Arrow 
head  story  to  tell.  According  to 
him,  when  a  young  lad,  at  a  time  when  his 
father,  who  was  a  sufferer  from  consumption, 
lay  sick  unto  death,  an  angel  appeared  to  him 
in  a  vision,  and  pictured  a  place  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain  side,  designated  by  a  pointing  arrow 
head,  where  his  father  might  be  cured.  Some 
years  later,  when  Dr.  Smith,  coming  to  the 
San  Bernardino  Valley,  saw  the  sign  upon  the 
mountain,  which  he  then  named  Arrowhead, 
he  recalled  the  vision.  Visiting  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  he  found  the  springs,  which  he  dis 
covered  to  be  possessed  of  valuable  medicinal 
properties  and  great  curative  powers. 

The  springs  are  thirty-six  in  number,  and 
vary  both  in  character  and  temperature. 

An  excellent  hotel,  with  connecting  bath 
house,  is  maintained  at  Arrowhead  Springs, 
which  is  now  a  favorite  resort,  and  easily 
reached  by  electric  line  from  the  Salt  Lake 
Route  Station  at  San  Bernardino. 


Traces  of  the  Early  Indians 


THER  Indian  relics  are  found  along 
the  Salt  Lake  Route,  showing  that 
the  country  recently  opened  up  by 
this  line  although  new  to  the  pale 
face,  was  in  the  time  of  long  ago 
the  home  of  the  red  man. 

At  Rox,  Nevada,  stand  the  pictured  rocks, 
plainly  visible  from  the  car  windows  of  all  the 
trains  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route.  These  hiero 
glyphics  or  picture-writings  of  the  ancient  In 
dians  cover  a  space  of  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  in  length,  and  represent  various  signs  of 
the  Zodiac,  animals,  birds,  etc.  Historians  date 
these  writings  as  1540,  approximately.  It  is 
supposed  that  they  are  the  records  of  the 
Spanish  expedition  to  the  Colorado  River  in 
the  above  mentioned  year.  This  conclusion  is 
drawn  from  the  fact  that  the  carvings  contain 
various  evidences  of  Spanish  influences. 

Farther  on  is  found  the  Arrowhead  Canon. 
This  spot  was  evidently  the  scene  of  some 
sacred  rites  of  the  red  men.  In  a  narrow  cleft 
of  the  rocks  are  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of 
Indian  arrowheads,  shot  in  so  closely  and  in 
such  numbers  that  to  wedge  in  another  would 
be  an  impossibility.  Evidently  a  celebration 
of  some  kind  occurred  here,  at  which  the 
braves  showed  their  skill  with  bow  and  arrow. 
These  and  many  other  strange  and  grand 
sights  make  an  ever-changing  panorama  along 
the  Salt  Lake  Route,  the  direct  line  between 
Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  City. 


THE  PICTURED   ROCKS.   NEAR   ROX.   NEVADA 


For  additional  copies  of  this  booklet,  as  well 
as  Utah,  Nevada  and  California  literature,  ad 
dress  M.  de  Brabant,  General  Agent,  Wool- 
worth  Building,  New  York;  Geo.  M.  Sargent, 
General  Agent,  142  South  Clark  Street,  Chi 
cago;  W.  J.  Bogert,  General  Agent,  819  Oliver 
Bldg.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.;  E.  B.  Erwin,  General 
Agent,  823  17th  Street,  Denver,  Colo.;  J.  H. 
Manderfield,  Asst.  General  Passenger  Agent, 
10  E.  3d  South  Street,  Salt  Lake  City;  A.  H. 
Heilbronner,  Trav.  Pass.  Agent,  201  State  Sav 
ings  Bank  Bldg.,  Butte,  Mont.;  L.  A.  Casey, 
General  Agent,  680  Market  Street,  San  Fran 
cisco;  F.  H.  Adams,  General  Agent,  601  South 
Spring  Street,  Los  Angeles;  or  any  agent  of 
the  Salt  Lake  Route. 

H.  C.  NUTT 

GENERAL  MANAGER 

F.  A.  WANN  T.  C.  PECK 

GEN  L  TRAFFIC  MANAGER  GEN-L.  PASSENGER  AGENT 


12-13-10M    U.L.Co. 


